R1 Reviews

[docsmith]

One of the reviews I was watching for: Whistling Wings Photography. He calls it his initial impressions.

Admittedly, I haven't watched it all, yet but watching a few key sections, he like the camera and gives two reasons to keep the R1 for bird photography:

• Low light (calls it the best low light/high ISO camera he's shot, better than R5 II or R3)
• 40 fps. He uses it, he likes it.

But, a basic summation "you aren't going to go wrong with either of these cameras (R1 or R5 II), or the R3 or the original R5 for that matter." A good summary, these are all amazing cameras. I am impressed with the R1, but even as I use and get to know the R1, I am coming away still impressed with my R5. Great cameras.

Canon R1 Initial Impressions - From a Bird Photographer

I discuss my first impressions of the new Canon R1 mirrorless camera from the perspective of a bird and wildlife photographer. 00:00 - Start02:02 - Introduct...

youtu.be

 

[OldDudePhotog]

I just got mine about an hour ago, I went through and set the settings similar/same as my R3 and started shooting random stupid things. The 40fps is crazy, I will likely shoot 30fps most of the time. The buffer is definitely good, especially at 30fps. I get about 10 seconds of shooting before running out, I can get 6 or 7 at 40fps. having dual CFx cards and shooting raw to both is really nice, it also seems to increase the buffer time over shooting raw/jpg combo.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

One other thing to note, I shot about 15,000 pictures to fill the 512gb CFx cards up, and the camera body becomes noticeably warm (inside in 70 degree house, almost continuous shooting). I never did see the temperature meter show up but you can hear the internal fan running when you place your ear to the camera body.

 

[neuroanatomist]

I never did see the temperature meter show up but you can hear the internal fan running when you place your ear to the camera body.

IBIS? I wasn’t aware the R1 has an internal fan.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

IBIS? I wasn’t aware the R1 has an internal fan.

I tested the camera without a lens to make sure I was not hearing the stabilization in the lens, there is definitely a fan(ish) noise coming from inside. It could be IBIS and I am simply mistaken but I would want to think that would not be present without a lens, but I could be wrong.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

Either way, this thing is awesome, I cannot wait to put it through its paces. There is a local fun run on Thursday called the Turkey Trot that I will go shoot since my son is running in it.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

Oh and thank you again for turning me on to the vendor. Bestbuy still had not shipped my camera as of just a little while ago, so I canceled the order.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

I managed to get the camera to display the temperature guage. I shot a 10 minute 4k 120fps video and it got to 6 bars. After that I switched to stills and shot numerous shots, it reduced to 3 bars and seemed to stay there. The body gets very noticeably warm when it's climbing up the temp guage. I am starting to be concerned for when it's 90 outside and I'm shooting in direct light.

 

[neuroanatomist]

I tested the camera without a lens to make sure I was not hearing the stabilization in the lens, there is definitely a fan(ish) noise coming from inside. It could be IBIS and I am simply mistaken but I would want to think that would not be present without a lens, but I could be wrong.

It's IBIS. There's no internal cooling fan.

From Bryan's (TDP) review: "Note that the IBIS adds a rattling sound (and slight feel) to the camera when powered off (don't worry about this) and a very slight hum when powered on." By 'powered on' he means the camera, not the IBIS system. Basically, the only way the IBIS is parked is powering off the camera. When the camera is on, the IBIS system is running all the time; if IBIS is not active, the system is not moving the sensor but holding it in a fixed position...but the system needs to run to do that.

It's like the RF lenses where the IS system also rattles when the lens is not mounted or mounted to a camera that's powered off, but when the lens is mounted on a camera with the power on, the lens does not rattle when moved even if the IS switch is turned off on the lens. Try it!

Incidentally, the R3 makes the same 'whirring' sound. Maybe it's a little quieter than the R1, but it's definitely there. I just turned them both on and could easily hear it from both bodies.

Side note: if you google "R1 whirring sound" the hits that come up are for a different Japanese manufacturer.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

I guess I had just never heard it on the R3, it is a little louder on the R1 but not a burden by any means. Guess no fan it is, I was simply mistaken.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

Has anyone figured out what the window on the back is for?

 

[neuroanatomist]

Has anyone figured out what the window on the back is for?

Just a note about the unlabeled ‘sensor’ on the back of the R1. It certainly looks to me like a tiny camera. If it was a fingerprint sensor or something similar, I’d expect it to be parallel to the back of the camera, but instead (behind the clear flat/flush window) it’s aimed at a slight upward angle, such that it points toward the face of the user.

My money is on a to-be-implemented facial recognition camera.

View attachment 221008

 

[OldDudePhotog]

seems like a plausible theory. I had thought it might be some sort of optical sensor for maybe an IR remote trigger.

 

[neuroanatomist]

seems like a plausible theory. I had thought it might be some sort of optical sensor for maybe an IR remote trigger.

Those are typically ‘black’ plastic. I do miss the little Canon RC-1 IR remote, it was much smaller than the current Bluetooth one.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

Those are typically ‘black’ plastic. I do miss the little Canon RC-1 IR remote, it was much smaller than the current Bluetooth one.

probably more reliable too, mine seems to lose connection way too often.

 

[kaihp]

Those are typically ‘black’ plastic. I do miss the little Canon RC-1 IR remote, it was much smaller than the current Bluetooth one.

Black as in "will only pass IR radiation but not visible light to reduce interference from e.g. sunlight".

IrDA ("red eye" the predecessor to Bluetooth) was notoriously unstable and had appalling data transfer rates. In this day, if Canon wanted to integrate remote control functionality directly into the R1 body, I'd assume they would go for the same/similar wireless technology as the radio triggered flashes (ST-Ex-RT, xxxEX-RT) - and that wouldn't need a clear window to a sensor.

So while the remote IR trigger option is plausible, I doubt it.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

I doubt it as well, it would not make much sense to only have it on the back as well. Something like that should be on top to have the best 360 view and would likely be dome shaped. I was simply studying it and that came to mind. I have a camera lens detector thing that someone gave me as a joke but seems to work pretty well ironically, if I can find it I will use it to see is there is a lens of some sort hidden in there. I know it all sounds crazy, I've had a crazy day (I work in IT) and I have hit the looney stage early today.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

I assume someone will tear this thing down at some point as well, could wait for that too.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Black as in "will only pass IR radiation but not visible light to reduce interference from e.g. sunlight".

IrDA ("red eye" the predecessor to Bluetooth) was notoriously unstable and had appalling data transfer rates. In this day, if Canon wanted to integrate remote control functionality directly into the R1 body, I'd assume they would go for the same/similar wireless technology as the radio triggered flashes (ST-Ex-RT, xxxEX-RT) - and that wouldn't need a clear window to a sensor.

So while the remote IR trigger option is plausible, I doubt it.

My nostalgia is for the size (though personally, I never had reliability issues with it and the data transfer rate needed to support a shutter triggering is negligible). The RC-1 fit within a closed hand. They already use Bluetooth to trigger camera bodies directly, have for years and I don't see why they'd switch to the radio frequency used for flashes (although those can already be used to trigger the shutter with a flash/ST-E10 in the hotshoe).

The BR-E1 is larger than the RC-1, harder to 'palm'. A smaller Bluetooth remote would certainly be possible, should Canon choose to design one.

 

[Deleted member 380853]

Oh and thank you again for turning me on to the vendor. Bestbuy still had not shipped my camera as of just a little while ago, so I canceled the order.

Same here. Set up my settings and C's last night !